Collapsible box and crate



Jan. 22 1924. 1,481,717

F. LAHEY COLLAPSIBLE BOX AND CRATE Filed Nov. 29. 1922 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Jan. 22,1924. 1,481,717

' F. T. LAHEY COLLAPSIBLE BOX AND CRATE Filed Nov. 29, 1922 2 Sheets-Shet. 2

Patented .lan. 22, 19245.

ET E

OFFICE.

FRANK r. Lanny, or AKRON, OHIO.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX AND CRATE.

Application filed November 29, 1922. Serial No. 604,064. i

To all whom z'zf may concern:

. Be it known that I, F RANK T. LAHEY, a citizen of the United States of. America, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boxes and Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in collapsible boxes or paper, cardboard, rubberized material or a sheet of material possessing a staple characteristic wherein chosen vertical edges of the side and end walls carry reinforcing strips for strengthening the corners of the box, while flanges or tabs are formed at either, orbot-h of the upper and lower edges of the side and end walls for association with the top and bottom walls of the box.

With the above general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists of the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the'accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and shown in section of a collapsible box constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the box shown in Fig. 1 showing the reinforcing strip carried by one of the vertical edges of the side and end walls of the box,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the vertical Walls of the box showing the reinforcing corner strip and. the bent flange at the lower end of the vertical wall for association with the bottom wall of the box, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bottom wall of the box, partly broken away to show the three ply construction thereof with the intermediate ply of reduced area to provide a groove between the upper and lower plies for the reception of the flange carried by the vertical wall,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of another form of box showing the collapsible sections reta ned 1n assembled formation by an incloslng band, i

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view of I the form of box shown in Fig. 5 showing .a

reinforcing strip carried by one edge 01 each vertical wall of the box,

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of the box shown in Fig.5 showing the top and bottomwalls constructedsimilar to the type of bottom wall illustrated in Fig. 4,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the vertical walls of the box illustrated in Fig. 5 showing a flange at the uppercand lower edge of each vertical wall for association with the top and bottom walls, 7

Figure 9 IS a perspective view of another form of slde wall showing a reinforcing edge strip at each vertical edge thereof and V a top and bottom wall engaging flange at the upper and lower edges,

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the end wall of the box associated with the side wall illustrated in Fig. 9, and

Figure 11 is a horizontal sectional view showing side and end walls illustrated in Fig. 9 in assembled position, top and bottom walls similar to Fig. 4 being employed.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 to i, there is illustrated a collapsible box that may be of any desired configuration, the same being illustrated as rectangular in cross section embodying vertical side Walls,

1 and vertical end walls 2. Each of the side and end walls 1 and 2 carries at one vertical construction, including upper and lower plies 6 and 7 respectively that are spaced by an intermediate ply 8, the plies 6, 7, and being adhesively or otherwise secured together, the plies 6 and '7 preferably being of similar dimensions, while the intermediate ply 8 is of lesser dimensions as illustrated in F i g. l to provide side and end grooves 9 for receiving the adjacent flange 5 upon the vertical walls. The plies 6 and 7 may be of different dimensions to compensate for verticalwalls of different thickness so that the edges thereof will not protrude. ln assembling the sections of the box, the flanges 5 formed upon the lower edges of he vertical. walls 1 and 2 are received in the grooves 9, the outwardly directed sections 4 of each reinforcing strip contacting a side face of the adjacent free edge of a vertical wall as illustrated in Fig. 2, the sections when so assembled being retained in operative relation by an ordinary type of removable cover .lO'as illustrated in Fig. 1. If desired, the reinforcing strip sections a may be adhesively or otherwise secured to the free edge of the adjacent side wall, forming a prominent connection between the side and end walls of the box, and further forming. a permanent interlocking connection between the lower flanged ends of the vertical side walls and the bottom walls, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 to 8, the box is formed of identical top and bottom walls of the type illustrated in Fig. 4, each vertical wall 11 carrying a flange 5 at the upper and lower edges thereof, while a reinforcing angle strip 4 is secured to one vertical edge as shown in Fig. 8. When the vertical walls of the box are assembled with the top and bottom walls thereof. the flanges 5 are received in the adjacent grooves 9 in the edges of the top and bottom walls, while the reinforcing angle strips engage the free edge of an adj acent vertical wall to cooperate therewith for he purpose of reinforcement. lVith the walls of the box so assembled, a retaining band 12 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 incloses the vertical walls for holding the same as sembled with relation to the top and bottom walls, retaining the flanges 5 in the grooves 9 and establishing interlocking connections between the meeting edges of the walls.

Another form of the invention is shown in Figs. 9 to 11 wherein a vertical wall 1- is provided with flanges 5 at the upper and lower edges thereof, the vertical side edges of the walls 1 carrying reinforcing angle strips 45 as shown in Fig. 9. The end walls 2 are provided with upper and lower flanges 5, and top and bottom walls of the form illustrated in Fig. i are employed in connec tion with this type of box. When the side and end walls 1 and 2 are assembled, the

flanges 5 thereof are received in the grooves 9 at the edges of the top and bottom walls, and the projecting sections of the reinforcing angle strips carried by the side walls 1- engage the adjacent vertical edges of the end walls 2 for reinforcing the same, and to maintain the box sections in assembled formation, a band 12 may be employed therewith. I

From the above detail description, it is believed that the construction and manner of assembling the sections ill at once be apparent, it being noted that the box is formed of separate side and end walls, and top and bottom walls that are inter-engaged with each other for the purpose of providing a box of the collapsible nature. The

sections may be adhesively secured together to provide permanent wall structures, or the sections may be freely assembled and so retained by an encircling collar or band, thereby providing a collapsible boxin which the entire wall structure thereof is separable and may be readily knocked down.

lVhile there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is 1. In a box structure, a box formed of six separate vertical, top and bottom sections, collapsible into a similar nrunber of flat members, the top and bottom sections being of three ply construction with the outer plies of equal area and the inner ply of lesser area and spaced inwardly of the edges of he outer ply to provide edge grooves, and flanges carried by the vertical walls received in the edge grooves.

2. In a box structure, a box formed of eparate vertical, top and bottom sections adapted to be collapsed into six flat members, the top and bottom sections being of three ply construction with the outer plies of greater area than the inner ply with the latter spaced inwardly of the edges of the outer plies to provide edge grooves, flanges carried by the vertical walls received in the edge grooves, and a band inclosing the vertical walls for retaining the structure in box formation.

3. In a box structure, a box formed of separate vertical, top and bottom sections adapted to be collapsed into six flat members, the top and bottom sections being of three ply construction with the outer plies of equal area and the inner ply of lesser area and spaced inwardly of the edges of the outer ply to provide edge grooves, flanges carried by the vertical walls received in the edge grooves, and reinforcing angle strips positioned at the meeting edges of the vertical walls.

4. In a box structure, a box formed of separate vertical, top and bottom sections adapted to be collapsed into six flat-members, the top and bottom sections being of three ply construction with the outer plies of equal area and the inner ply of lesser area and spaced inwardly of the edges of the outer ply to provide edge grooves, flanges carried by the vertical walls received in the edge grooves, reinforcing angle strips po-.

sitioned at the meeting edges of the vertical walls, and a band inclosing the vertical walls for retaining the structure in box formation.

5. In a box structure, a box formed of separate vertical, top and bottom walls, said top and bottom walls having inwardly extending grooves at the edges thereof, flanges carried by the upper and lower edges of the vertical walls received in the grooves when the walls are assembledin such a manner that external pressure applied to the vertical walls in a direction toward the center of the box will prevent separation of said vertical, top, and bottom walls,and means for providing such pressure.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK T. LAHEY. 

